The General After DUI: State-by-State Availability Guide

The General operates in 46 states but does not write new policies in Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, or North Carolina. Within their operating footprint, SR-22 filing acceptance is near-universal, but the carrier routes DUI applicants through different underwriting tiers depending on state regulations and time since conviction. In states with mandatory SR-22 filing after DUI — including California, Florida, Illinois, and Virginia — The General accepts filings directly and processes them within 24-48 hours of policy binding. Filing fees range from $15 to $50 depending on state, separate from premium. States without mandatory SR-22 requirements post-DUI, such as Delaware and New Jersey, still allow voluntary filing. The General processes these filings in the same window, but applicants in these states face different rate structures because the filing itself signals conviction status to underwriters even when state law does not mandate it.

The General segments applicants into preferred, standard, and non-standard tiers. A first-offense DUI moves most drivers from standard to non-standard immediately, regardless of prior driving history. This shift typically adds 60-110% to base premiums depending on state and time since conviction. Drivers with a DUI in the past 12 months pay the highest surcharges. The General applies a conviction recency multiplier that decreases annually: first year post-conviction averages 90-110% increase, second year drops to 60-80%, third year to 40-60%. By year five in most states, the DUI falls off the carrier's underwriting review, though state DMV records and insurance databases retain it longer. Multiple DUIs or a DUI combined with other point violations — such as reckless driving or suspended license — often trigger declination even in non-standard tiers. The General's appetite for layered-risk drivers varies by state market conditions. In competitive non-standard markets like Texas and Georgia, they write policies other carriers decline. In tighter markets like New York and Michigan, underwriting is more restrictive.

SR-22 is not insurance — it is a filing your carrier submits to the state DMV certifying continuous coverage. The General files SR-22 in all 46 states where they operate, but the duration, fees, and reinstatement rules are set by state law, not the carrier. California requires SR-22 for 3 years after a DUI conviction. The General files electronically within 24 hours of policy binding, and the $25 filing fee appears as a separate line item on the first premium invoice. If the policy lapses for any reason during the 3-year window, The General notifies the California DMV within 15 days, triggering an automatic license suspension. Florida requires SR-22 for 3 years but only after a DUI conviction results in license suspension. If the court withholds adjudication and the driver completes DUI school, SR-22 may not be required. The General does not make this determination — the Florida DHSMV does. Drivers often purchase SR-22 policies unnecessarily because they assume conviction equals filing requirement. Illinois does not use SR-22 — the state requires a different form called SR-22A for high-risk drivers. The General files SR-22A in Illinois under the same process as SR-22 in other states, but the form name matters when calling for quotes or checking filing status. New York abolished SR-22 in favor of direct DMV monitoring, so The General does not file anything post-DUI in New York, though they still write non-standard policies for convicted drivers.

The General positions as a non-standard carrier, but their post-DUI rates are not always the lowest option. In side-by-side state filings, Progressive's non-standard division and GEIC (GEICO's non-standard arm) often quote 10-25% lower for identical coverage profiles, particularly for drivers 2+ years post-conviction. The General's rate advantage appears most clearly in states with assigned-risk plans where other carriers decline entirely. In South Carolina, a DUI with suspended license reinstatement often pushes drivers into the state's assigned-risk pool unless a non-standard carrier accepts them voluntarily. The General writes these policies at rates 15-30% below assigned-risk premiums, though still 80-100% above standard-market rates. Drivers shopping post-DUI should quote The General alongside at least two competitors. Progressive, Bristol West, and Acceptance Insurance operate in overlapping markets and compete directly for the same risk profiles. Rate differences of $40-$80 per month are common for identical state minimum coverage, driven by each carrier's claims experience in that state and their current growth targets in the non-standard segment.

The General writes state minimum liability in all 46 operating states. After a DUI conviction, most drivers are quoted minimums by default: 25/50/25 in states like Ohio and Texas, 15/30/5 in California, 20/40/15 in Colorado. Higher liability limits — 50/100/50 or 100/300/100 — are available but require manual underwriting review and add 20-35% to base premium. Collision and comprehensive coverage availability depends on vehicle value and conviction recency. The General typically declines physical damage coverage for vehicles worth less than $5,000 or drivers within 6 months of conviction. When offered, collision deductibles start at $1,000 minimum, compared to $500 deductibles available to standard-tier drivers. Comprehensive deductibles follow the same floor. Uninsured motorist coverage is available in all states where offered to standard drivers, but UM/UIM limits cannot exceed liability limits. A driver carrying state minimums cannot purchase $100,000 UM coverage. Some states mandate UM at the same level as liability; The General auto-includes it in those states and itemizes the cost separately on the declarations page.

The General declines applications in several scenarios: DUI conviction within the past 6 months in most states, multiple DUIs within 5 years, DUI combined with at-fault accident causing injury, or any DUI with a suspended license that has not been fully reinstated. Declination is immediate and applicants receive a written notice citing the specific underwriting rule. Some states allow carriers to decline based on credit score in combination with driving record. The General applies this rule in Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. A DUI plus a credit score below 550 typically triggers declination even if the driver meets all other underwriting criteria. States that prohibit credit-based declination — California, Hawaii, Massachusetts — remove this pathway, so DUI becomes the sole underwriting factor. Drivers declined by The General have three options: quote other non-standard carriers like Acceptance or Direct Auto, enter the state assigned-risk pool if available, or wait 6-12 months and reapply if the declination was based on conviction recency. Assigned-risk premiums run 50-90% higher than voluntary non-standard market rates, but coverage is guaranteed by law in states that operate these pools.

The General applies DUI surcharges for 5 years from conviction date in most states. This is longer than the 3-year SR-22 filing window and longer than the typical 3-year point violation surcharge. The carrier's internal underwriting guidelines treat DUI as a major conviction with extended lookback, separate from standard point-based violations. Surcharges decrease annually on a fixed schedule. A driver convicted in January 2020 sees the following rate adjustment pattern at each renewal: 2021 renewal includes 100% DUI surcharge, 2022 drops to 75%, 2023 to 50%, 2024 to 25%, 2025 removes the surcharge entirely. Base rates and other risk factors still apply, so the total premium does not drop by the full surcharge amount — only the DUI-specific multiplier is removed. Some states regulate surcharge duration by statute. North Carolina limits surcharges to 3 years for any moving violation including DUI. The General complies with state-mandated floors and applies their internal 5-year rule only in states without conflicting regulation. Drivers in regulated states benefit from faster surcharge rolloff, though base non-standard tier pricing remains higher than standard-market drivers pay.